Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure Impairs Helping Behaviour in Male Offspring: The Possible Role of miR-223 and NLRP3 Inflammasomes in the Amygdala.

The increasing prevalence of methamphetamine abuse among women, particularly pregnant females, is a global concern. Methamphetamine can readily cross anatomical barriers like the blood-placenta barrier and cause detrimental impacts on the growing fetus. The current research evaluated the effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure on helping behaviour and neuroinflammatory cascade in the amygdala of male offspring.

Cardiometabolic risk factors trend in Iranian adults with hypertension over 15 years: findings of nationwide steps of 2007-2021.

Objectives: People with hypertension are more susceptible to developing cardiometabolic risk factors including overweight, obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome (MetS). We aim to determine the trends in the prevalence of these risk factors among Iranian adults with hypertension from 2007 to 2021.

Methods: We utilized data for adults from 25 to 64 years old from four rounds of the STEPwise approach to non-communicable diseases risk factor surveillance (STEPS) study conducted in Iran in 2007, 2011, 2016, and 2021.

Safety and Efficacy of Incentive Spirometer in Covid-19 Pneumonia; a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Various treatment protocols have been recommended since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and have gradually evolved. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of incentive spirometer exercise (ISE) in outcomes of hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Methods: A 3-month single-blind, two parallel-armed randomized controlled trial was conducted at Imam Hossein Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

Prenatal Methamphetamine Hydrochloride Exposure Leads to Signal Transduction Alteration and Cell Death in the Prefrontal Cortex and Amygdala of Male and Female Rats' Offspring.

In the last decade, there has been a great increase in methamphetamine hydrochloride (METH) abuse by pregnant women that exposes fetus and human offspring to a wide variety of developmental impairments that may be the underlying causes of future psychosocial issues. Herein, we investigated whether prenatal METH exposure with different doses (2 and 5 mg/kg) could influence neuronal cell death and antioxidant level in the different brain regions of adult male and female offspring. Adult male and female Wistar rats prenatally exposed to METH (2 or 5 mg/kg) and/or saline was used in this study.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Placebo Effect and its Correlates in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a major mental health condition with a lifetime prevalence rate of 1.3% among adults. While placebo effects are well described for conditions such as depressive and anxiety disorders, they have not been systematically characterized in OCD.

Autism-like symptoms by exposure to air pollution and valproic acid-induced in male rats.

Exposure to air pollution during prenatal or neonatal periods is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to epidemiology studies. Furthermore, prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has also been found to be associated with an increased prevalence of ASD. To assess the association between simultaneous exposure to VPA and air pollutants, seven exposure groups of rats were included in current study (PM and gaseous pollutants exposed - high dose of VPA (PGE-high); PM and gaseous pollutants exposed - low dose of VPA (PGE-low); gaseous pollutants only exposed - high dose of VPA (GE-high); gaseous pollutants only exposed - low dose of VPA (GE-low); clean air exposed - high dose of VPA (CAE-high); clean air exposed - low dose of VPA (CAE-low) and clean air exposed (CAE)).

Kisspeptin-13 prevented the electrophysiological alterations induced by amyloid-beta pathology in rat: Possible involvement of stromal interaction molecules and pCREB.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disease that slowly causing memory impairments with no effective treatment. We have recently reported that kisspeptin-13 (KP-13) ameliorates Aβ toxicity-induced memory deficit in rats. Here, the possible cellular impact of kisspeptin receptor activation in a rat model of the early stage AD was assessed using whole-cell patch-clamp recording from CA1 pyramidal neurons and molecular approaches.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the placebo effect in panic disorder: Implications for research and clinical practice.

Objective: This review aimed to measure the degree of placebo response in panic disorder.

Data Sources: We searched major databases up to 31 January 2021, for randomized pharmacotherapy trials published in English.

Study Selection: A total of 43 studies met inclusion criteria to be in the analysis (with 174 separate outcome measurements).

Epilepsy lifetime prevalence in Iran: a large population- based national survey.

Epilepsy has garnered increased public health focus because patients who suffer from epilepsy experience pronounced and persistent health and socioeconomic disparities despite treatment and care advances. The epidemiology of epilepsy is diverse in different countries and regions. This nationwide population-based cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the life time prevalence and health related factors of epilepsy for the first time in Iran through a two-phase door-to-door survey method.

Transplantation of human dental pulp stem cells compensates for striatal atrophy and modulates neuro-inflammation in 3-nitropropionic acid rat model of Huntington's disease.

Stem cell-based therapy has recently offered a promising alternative for the remedy of neurodegenerative disorders like Huntington's disease (HD). Herein, we investigated the potential ameliorative effects of implantation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) rat models of HD. In this regard, human DPSCs were isolated, culture-expanded and implanted in rats lesioned with 3-NP.